


Sweat and sex don't mix for a germaphobe.

by TheBitterWriterOfBritannia



Category: Impractical Jokers
Genre: Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Body Worship, M/M, Smut, but wham bam thank you mam, i don't know where this came from
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 05:46:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12125835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBitterWriterOfBritannia/pseuds/TheBitterWriterOfBritannia
Summary: Q didn't realise what he needed until he saw it; and that's Sal working out.





	Sweat and sex don't mix for a germaphobe.

**Author's Note:**

> If you don't like explicit language and descriptions of sex, you may want to look away. 
> 
> Otherwise, happy humping!  
> ___________________________

"I'm buying an elliptical bike." Sal says, walking into the kitchen to find Brian washing the dishes. 

"Okay." Brian replies, not even looking up.

"And an ab trainer. And probably some weights."

"Okay." Brian repeats, drying the bowl in hand. 

Sal watches him for a minute, then nods, walking away to follow through with his directions. 

Before moving in together, even before being together Brian knew Sal was one of those infinite 'New Years resolution to get fit'  kind of people, always promising to join a gym, switching out their junk food for fruit once a month, and obsessive worries when counting his meal's calories. Of course, Brian knew his heart was in the right place, and he'd even a few times joined him in an attempt to be the supportive partner, but it usually fell apart not long after he'd refresh the routine. Sal wasn't so bad at the eating healthy, and he loved long walks, but the first few pounds were as easy to put back on as they had been to take off, and then he'd find himself in the same rut as before he'd started dieting. 

The worst part was comforting him afterwards- when he'd seen his best friend proud and thrilled with himself for doing so well, to suddenly be broken and shrivelled up when the winning streak didn't continue. Brian always knew what to say: "Look on the bright side, you lost more weight this time than last!", "These things just happen, Sally. We'll keep at it!" or the classic "Who gives a fuck about how much you weigh?! I love you how you are, that's all that matters." Sal took them all in his strides, but it hurts watching the scales run up and down, never staying stable long enough for him to focus. It was almost admirable how often he'd tried again, but it hurt Brian to watch Sal hate himself when things didn't succeed.

Brian puts away the last of the culinary and walks into the living room to see his partner typing away feverishly on his laptop. Sal bought yoga mats, exercise bands, protein shake mix, and one time even a shake-weight that caught him as the butt of many jokes for a week, but proper, mechanical, scary machines, not yet. Brian was intrigued to see how this would turn out, but he didn't hold his breath- he knew the money they were about to spend for Sal was going to be productive and well spent for about a week, then it would be back to the same old same old with dust collectors clogging up their house. He knew better than to tell his partner that he doubted his commitment, but he'd learnt with time the inevitable was on the horizon.

A week passed and Brian hadn't heard anymore about exercise. He'd been pretty distracted himself however, with his cat Chessie getting sick and him trying to book the vet appointment, as well as keep the poorly cat out of Sal's way, knowing he'd never hear the end of it if that cat threw up on the bed, or worse. He'd been given antibiotics, he'd bought a new cat bed...a lot of his time was caught up in taking care of Chessie or filming Impractical Jokers, he hadn't taken notice in anything anyone else was doing. He finally found time to relax when his cat started getting better, and he decided to go and talk to Sal, his _housemate_ , to apologise for being so absent.

Apparently Brian had been so absent he'd lost Sal in their own home. He searched the different rooms, calling out his name and peering in the corners there's no way Sal could be hidden, and the last place he searched was their garage, almost certain he wouldn't be there- but he was wrong. Brian walked into the stuffy room and suddenly caught the breath in his throat at the sight before him. Sal, grunting as he used a shimmering white pec deck, glistening in sweat. His headphones in his ears, the curls of his overgrown hair had fallen and stuck to his forehead, and his cheeks brought out in a rose gloss. His arms bulging where he'd been working hard, thicker than Brian had ever seen them. He found himself completely captivated, unable to take his eyes off Sal, feeling a lump of arousal stuck in his throat.

Sal pulls the arms of the machine into his chest, neck tensing with veins as the struggle grew. The vest he wore was fitting, sticking to every curve of his body, and his biceps strained as the knots of his joints thickened. Brian found his lips suddenly _very_ dry and his jeans unyielding to his length.

He use to be surrounded by firemen, he knew physical labour wasn't something that turned him on- but _Sal_ working out, his tank top so tight and his arms so big did something to Brian he didn't think could happen so quickly.

_ When did Sal get all this stuff in the house?  _ He ponders, still lost in lust. _ Oh, there's the elliptical bike, too- where the fuck was I when he got these delivered?  _

Sal opened his eyes and jumped as he saw Brian, staring silently. "Jesus, man!" He yelped, holding his chest, breathing heavily out of shock and exhaustion. He yanked his headphones out his ears. "You scared the life out of me, the fuck you gawping at?!" He moved to the edge of the seat, grabbing a towl flung near by and wiped his neck. Brian was at a loss for words, watching his boyfriend dry himself, arms still thick, and he found his throat drying the longer he looked. 

"I uh, just wanted to talk. You know, feel like I haven't seen you in forever."

"Yeah." Sal straightened up, smiling. "How's Chessie, all good?"

Brian's smile tugged as he nodded. "Yeah, much better."

"Good. The only thing worse than a cat, is a  _sick_   _cat_." Sal said, half joking. He let out a deep exhale, stretching out his back and rolling in neck on his shoulders therapeutically. Brian watched, as if hypnotised, taking his lip between his teeth and unconsciously sighing, with a relief he hadn't known was stirring. Sal stood up, stretching his arms and then relaxing, his dimples sharp against his pink cheeks. "Sorry, I'm pretty gross right now."

Brian shook his head, pulling Sal in by the hips and smiling deviously. "You're cool, man. You're..." he let out a heavy breath through his nose, eyes falling down Sal's body. "You're great."

"Thanks?" Sal said, suspicious. He was about to wriggle out of Brian's hold when suddenly lips were against his, ravenous and eager, and he was being pushed back against the nearest wall. Brian's hands ran up and down his body, fast and out of nowhere, Sal had to read the scenario before he could react. He pushed back on Brian's shoulders, still in his arms, eyes wide. "Wha-what was that about?" He snickered, baffled but not complaining. 

Brian smirked, tugging Sal closer as if there was anymore space between them. "Honestly, you're so fucking hot right now."

Sal's eyes went even wider. "Oh. Oh, okay. Well this is an interesting 'talk'." Sal joked, but he was only met with dark irises, staring hungrily at him. Brian licked over his lips, the heat in his stomach swirling like a tsunami storm, and he gripped tighter on Sal's hips. 

"Look at my big, strong man." Brian spoke, lust dripping from his words. "God, how do I let you out of my sights when you look  _this good_." 

Sal felt a heat rise against his skin again, but this was the familiar tingle, not the strain of endorphins. This was Brian's fingers dragging along his biceps, and his tongue licking his lips, and the pressure of his body against his own, weighing down like he was still pulling weights into his chest. Sal held Brian's shoulders, doing nothing but watching, till lips were back on his and then falling down his neck. His body reacted instantly, his hips lifting to meet Brian's groin, fingers holding his back. He was a sucker for neck kisses, it was often Brian's secret weapon to win him over, and it always worked.  _Always_. 

But like a flash, Sal remembered his clothes and skin were drenched in sweat, and that was the overpowering denominator that closed of his allure and awoke his disgust.

"Wait, Q." Sal said, pulling Brian off his body and holding his face. "I'm real sweaty, man, it's weird."

"No, its sexy,  _real fucking sexy._ "

Sal wasn't sure whether that was vile or flattering. "I'll just go have a quick shower, and we can pick up from there." Sal winked, about to leave, when Brian grabbed him and pulled him close again, emitting an "umph" from Sal as he was once again denied permission to go. "Q, come on!" He whined, trying to resist Brian's eager fingers.

"Be a sport, Sally." He ran his hands down Sal's biceps, groaning at the feel of them harder, more defined and glistening. "You're a little gym freak, aye? Come on, play along." Brian's eyes fall lazy, but they're dyed in the vibrant colours of sex. "I just want to make you feel good."

Sal raised a brow, eyes falling to watch as Brian rubbed his arms as if possessed. "But I feel gross, can't we do this after I shower. Hay, we can even take this  _to_  the shower!" Sal ran his fingers through Brian's hair, linking his arms behind his neck. Brian shivered, giving a flirty laugh as they stood in the centre of the room holding each other, but it wasn't going as Sal had hoped, because Brian resumed his position on his neck and nipped harder, causing Sal to moan in his throat.

"Okay, that's a no." He said, breathy. Brian snickered, sucking on the pulse point, mixture of soft kisses and vicious bites, that had Sal's knees falling weak. He could feel Brian's beard prickling his skin, like gentle razor blades stroking the purple bruises. Sal threw his head back, gripping Brian's shoulder blades- the lower his kisses fell, the less Sal felt like he could stand.

Brian peppered his collarbone with his lips, obsessed with loving him wholeheartedly. He'd never seen Sal in a tank top, he thought his wardrobe consisted solely of black tees and hoodies, not flesh exposing vests. Sal's thick arms, his neck and the start of his chest, Brian was drunk on how much skin there was. He kissed his chest deeply, the tangy salty taste not being any sort of bother. He wrapped an arm around Sal's back, feeling him laze as his arousal rose.

"I want you to fuck me." Brian murmured, face still buried in Sal's chest, almost hearing his fanatic heart skip a beat. Sal's nails dug into Brian's back and he definitely almost lost his balance.

"Bri-  _Jesus_ , you're gonna work me into overdrive! Where's this coming from?" Sal chuckled, breathless. His limbs felt weak, from the adrenaline soaring, from the exercise wearing him down, all his blood had found it's direction and he just needs to let his mind fade into a sweet oblivion. Stars flicker under his eyelids as his knees fall weaker, and somehow the two men end up on the floor of the garage, tongues deep in one another's mouths, obsessive to touch the others skin and feel their love. Brian straddles Sal as he adores him, ferociously kissing him, nipping his ear and rubbing over the bulge of Sal's sweat pants with the shell of his palm, indulging in hearing the helpless moans. They were wrapped up in each other, nothing else around them even existed let alone mattered- sound had become obsolete unless it was the pants of their lover or the harmonies of their hearts. 

Sal let Brian's name slip from his lips shamelessly, bucking his hips into the other mans touch, desperate for the friction. The cold, flat floor beneath him provided no support, his back whining in protest, and his mind still flittered in and out of consciousness over his sweatiness, but he'd give up all comfort to forever stay in this moment of sweet lust. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, his stomach tightening as the arousal built up. Brian tugged down Sal's joggers and boxers in one motion and lowered to take Sal in his mouth, the thick cock hitting the back of his throat, and Sal grunted, dragging his nails across the tiles. Brian held Sal's waist, fingers pushed into his soft flesh as he steadied his bucking hips, and swirled his tongue over Sal's prick. Sweet to ragged moans fell from his partner, the control slowly leaving his body as the fog drifted through, clouding his judgement.

Brian loved Sal like this, lost of coherence. He watched him under his eyelashes, bobbing up and down teasingly slow, seeing Sal unravel as the heat racked his body. He threw one hand over his face, holding back the wet hair damp on his forehead, and the other found its way to Brian's locks, pushing him down further, needing him to suck his cock harder, or he may _explode_ right there and then. He can feel the pit of his belly winding and winding far beyond it’s will to do so, the heat off Brian’s mouth sending shock waves through his body, that Sal swears he can hear the voice of God like a mouse squeaking far off in the distance. His eyes roll to the back of his head; loving Brian’s nails digging into his love handles; loving Brian’s lips puckering around his head; loving the pained bliss of the closing climax-

“Q, I’m so close.” Sal mumbles past an unsteady breath, moaning like he’s singing a love song. He let’s the electricity spiking his skin concentrate, radiate through his bones that his toes can’t help but curl in response. He feels his body go into over drive, and then just as quick, Brian’s mouth leaves his cock and it feels like he’s hit a brick wall. He slams his fists down on the hard floor, looking up at his boyfriend and feeling betrayed when he’s met with a way too familiar shit-eating grin. “Why’d you-“

“I told you. I want you to fuck me.” Brian demanded, not suggested. It was a very deliberate, self assuring tone. Sal’s eyes fluttered slightly as his chest did the same, breath caught on the edge of his blue balls. He sat up further, running his hand through his hair and rolling his head on his neck, gritting his teeth. Brian’s eyes were swimming through the dangerous current of his confidence, so far away yet close enough it feels like Brian's breath is underneath Sal's skin. Sal loves him, but he hates him at the same time- the way he’s so cocky he has Sal wrapped around his little finger, no consideration for offering his dominance even out of politeness. Sal could wring the life out of him, if he didn’t need to be touched with hot hands so desperately. 

“Well we don’t keep lube in the garage.” Sal says, smirking; recovering still. “So I guess we’ll have to relocate this party.” He sits up, placing a finger under Brian’s chin and pulling him in, kissing him tenderly before biting his lip. “Bedroom?”

Brian cocks a brow, devils smile lighting the fires of their lust. “Bedroom.”

The journey is a blur— fingers tugging at material, lips bestowing the warmest of kisses, feet falling in the jovial pursuit to fall heaven bound to a feeling they’d known a thousand times before, never boring off no matter how routine it became. Sal fumbles through the bedroom door, thrown onto their bed, not given the chance to comprehend when he’s pounced upon. Brian holds him down, thighs around his waist, lips rough on his, and they kiss like they're teenagers first discovering sex. Sal’s hands stroke the small of his back, and he sees the stars again when Brian kisses down his jaw, before leaning over to haphazardly jumble about the clutter in their bedside draw, pulling out the lube. Sal watches - like Brian is great art in a museum - the way he wriggles out of his jeans and boxers, then does the same for Sal, leaving them bare and vulnerable. Brian kneels between Sal’s legs, opening the lube and readying to cover his fingers when Sal snatches it, wrapping an arm around his back and forcing them to be together. Faces so close, Brian can see every pour, every freckle, every hair of his boyfriends rough beard, and he loves it. 

Sal laces his nimble fingers in the sticky substance, knocks Brian’s legs apart further, and slips his middle finger into Brian’s hole painstakingly slow. 

Brian inhales sharply through his teeth. He’s never familiar with the intrusion, and it stings every time ever so slightly, that his nails grip tight on Sal’s shoulders to compensate. He buries his face into his neck, breathing the musky scent of sweat, and his body smooths over as Sal moves in and out gently, the other hand drawing lines up and down his back.

“You’re not use to this, are ya?” Sal teases, voice fallen with sex. It’s like booming speakers being that close to his ear, Brian can only let out a gravelly moan as response. Sal chuckles. “Took on more than you can chew?”

“Shut up.”

“I’ll stop if you want me to.”

“No.” Brian grips harder, lifting his face to drop against Sal’s forehead, skulls clinking. He can’t bring their eyes to meet, but he’s content staring at the swollen pink of Sal’s lips, glistening in saliva. “You’re so big.”

“Just my fingers, Q.”

“Big fingers. _Fuck_ \- I love ‘em.” The pain had subdued to liquid sparks, cooling and electric, he couldn’t focus long enough on which sensation was stronger before his stomach twists. Sal slips in another finger , scissoring slightly that Brian presses their skulls together harder, mouth falling as the pleasure makes him a puppet. “Fuck, Sally, I’ve missed you. Missed you so much.” Brian starts grinding down, needing _more_ like his life depends on it. “Caught you working out- _fuck_ , you’re so hot, Sal. You’re so big, and strong- _God_ , you better fuck me good, Salvatore.” Brian’s eyes lift finally to meet his partners, and he finds the heat rippling through him with more urgency when he sees Sal's green’s blown up, and his face dedicated to this moment, as if it may save all of humanity. Then, suddenly, there are fireworks - he lifts his hands to Sal’s face, kissing him hard when Sal hits his prostate, moaning loud into his mouth. 

Sal beckons his fingers again, feeling Brian shudder and delve deeper into the kiss. It wasn’t often he had Brian so fragile, unraveling around him, body starting to soak with the first coat of sweat. He loved it like one loved rollercoasters, or long car journeys, because it gave him more than Brian could offer willingly - a version of himself glamorously weak, wrapped up in stars and pleasure, bursting over and over and over again. His arms were so tired, crying out for rest, but the blood warming his loins was more headstrong than any other feeling within his body, he needed to give Brian everything he wanted before he could rest his weary limbs. This Brian, with flushed skin and quivering thighs, racing heartbeat and pleading eyes, Sal’s only want is to please him the way he deserves.

He pulls away from he kiss, snickering when the older man moans high pitched at the loss of contact. His fingers relax and pull out. He reaches over to his wallet on the side table and pulls out a condom, almost forgetting in the haze of passion, and tears it open. He rolls the condom over his cock and still pours a generous amount of lube on his dick, just for good measure, because Sal knows Brian would rather take on a challenge that hurt him than admit defeat. Brian watches, heaving, the expression of a man on the brink of starvation. 

“You ready, man?”

“Yes. Definitely.”

“You sure?” Sal checks, lowering to lay on his back as Brian positions himself over Sal’s cock. 

“Yes.” Brian smiles, resting his hands on Sal’s shoulders as he lines up. “I’d tell you if not. Got it?”

Sal smiles back. “Got it."

Brian sinks down on Sal’s cock, face wincing as he feels the velvety stretch that has Sal’s back arching, and then he breaths. He really doesn’t bottom enough, but the sting is like a drug he swears he’ll shoot up again, let his blood rush and his eyes roll. Sal’s hands are gripped tight to Brian’s thighs, his breath caught on the brink of his tongue as he awaits movement- permission to assure he can move. Brian looks into Sal’s eyes, and that wonderful intimacy they have is the point of seduction that fills him with all the confidence in the world. 

Brian’s lips brighten his whole face with a mischievous allure, and he lifts his hips to grind back down, loving how Sal’s eyes stutter and he pushes further back on the bed like he could burn down through the mattress. “Show me how strong you are then.” Brian whispers, lost in dirty talk and absolute dire need for the friction. “Show me a real work out.”

Without another second, Sal pushes into Brian further, groaning, and sets a steady rhythm for the two of them to work off. His hips work like pistols, and the two fill the stuffy silence with a string of moans, leaving them to stick to the walls and sheets, the kinds of stains one desires to remain infinite. Sal feels a burn in his thighs, hot and tight, but the feel of his cock slipping in and out of his boyfriend is enough to send him unconscious, working with the sheer instinct to keep up the pleasure. Brian bounces against him like a champ, cursing, promising the whole world is Sal's if he can get him off, use everything he’s got. 

“You’re so fucking big, Sal, that cock of yours. I love it, I love it- _God_ , I fucking love you!” He says through gritted teeth. He throws his head back, clenching his eyes shut to live in the moment, the warmth slithering over his skin, punching him in the gut, and the way his insides are twisting makes him wonder if he’ll ever be able to straighten himself out ever again, or if he’ll be left with the crinkled marks of their sex forever. He hopes so. “Fu- _fuck_ , I love it.”

Sal bits his lips. A tangy metallic taste as he draws blood, but it just heightens everything swirling within him. Lifting himself up to admire Brian better, he bucks his hips faster. His boyfriend’s hands still ingrained on his shoulders, solid like rocks, it’s as if this is the first time they’ve ever had sex. He lifts his hands to hold Brian’s hips, using the touch to guide him down harder, like it was even possible, like he had extra length hidden for special occasions. Brian’s moans become more ragged and tangled as his belly tightens, and Sal can tell he’s close.

“Hold on.” Sal says, kind, but strong enough to be a demand. “Just- a little longer, I swear.”

“Yeahyeah- _yeah_ okay,” Brian lets out a long exhale that turns into a moan, head falling down to look between them; his cock bouncing as cum gathers at the head. “How did I get so lucky, man? You’re real swell, you know that— a fucking stunner too. I love you.” Brian’s mouth works ahead of his brain. His hands lower to hold Sal’s biceps, squeezing on the bulged muscle. “Jesus Christ, I love you so much. I can’t think- _you’re so big._ ”

“You’ve said that.” Sal laughs, panting hard as he feels his gut tighten like he’s still bench pressing, but better. 

Brian licks his lips, smirking. “Yeah. You’re perfect, Sal. So fucking perfect, I love you.” He looks at Sal, deep into his eyes - it feels like time slows around them and their persistent movements are happening outside of their bodies. Brian is caught in a momentary tranquility staring into Sal’s glossy eyes. “I really love you.”

Sal’s hips stutter but don’t falter. He squeezes playfully on the pudge of Brian’s hip. “I love you too, man.”

They pick up the speed. Hands pressing into soft flesh, nails dragging down the white skin to burn red, eyes rolling back so far they may never return. They relied on the other for support, emotional and physical, with so many emotions and sensations souring through them it was hard to remember who they were. Sometimes it felt out of this world, the simplicity of Sal’s hips and Brian’s thighs, the sweat glistening under the dim light peaking through the curtain, there was so much blissful silence in the projection of their moans. Sal loved it. Brian loved it. They wouldn’t want their love any other way- a little fragile but intimate.

Sal’s breaths become almost panicky, like he’s about to run out of air. “I’m almost there.” He says on a whisper, losing himself the more he feels himself. Brian takes the opportunity to lift himself high and slam down, clenching, indulging in how it burns sweet and sends Sal over the moon. “ _Shit_ \- oh holy _fuck_.”

Brian takes his dick into his hand and pumps to the rhythm of their sex. “So good, baby. You’re amazing. _Fuck_ , so _close_ , baby, so close-“

That’s when he came, long strips of white rope, shooting across Sal’s tank top, and as if practiced Sal comes hard into Brian, arching as he feels his orgasm rake his body like he’s possessed. He holds his breath in his throat till he’s finished, and drops with a thud, the bed squeaking in protest. They stay still, panting like dogs, hands stuck on the other. Brian doesn’t want to lose the feelings of Sal stretching him, so close and in love with him, the warmth keeping him alive. He closes his eyes, happily sore.

“That’s a hell of a lot of calories burned.” Sal says after too long in the quiet. He taps Brian, lifting him up and laying him beside himself before flopping back onto his back. “You good?” He asks, taking off the condom and throwing it into the bin, thankful to make the shot. 

“Yeah.” Brian replies. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Sal pushes his hair back, completely soaked in sweat, he grimaces. “I’m fucking disgusting.” He complains, then looks down at his chest, adding more wrinkles around his nose. “Jesus, well that’s this top ruined.”

“Not like you wear tanks out and about.”

“No, but I’m not going to work out with cum stains.” Sal chuckles, still a little breathless. He turns onto his side, smiling. Brian always falls painfully quiet after sex, especially when it’s Sal having his way with him. There’s a sour note, like a twinge of pain that ripples through Sal, failing in confidence, till Brian turns his head to look at him and the famous cheshire smile turns him soft again. 

“Thanks.” Brian repeats.

“You’re thanking me for sex?”

Brian shrugs. “I guess.” He rolls onto his side, placing his hand on Sal’s cheek and stroking with his thumb. “You’re pretty.”

“I’m 40 years old, Q. I’m hardly pretty.”

“But you are. I mean it, you’re a fucking stunner, Salvatore.”

Sal groans, like a child. “Don’t call me that.”

“Don’t call you by your name?”

“It’s too long.” Sal grabs Brian and pulls him against his body, nuzzling his face into the crook of his neck. “It’s too awkward.”

Brian exhales a laugh, running his fingers through Sal’s damp hair. “Don’t be an asshole. I love you, Salvatore Edward Anthony Vulcano.”

“Ugh- stop, you dick."

They stay wrapped up in each other for minutes, until Sal finally can’t take the crawling of his skin and he bursts out of the moment to run to the bathroom. The sound of the shower head and the clunking about of Sal’s heavy footsteps brings Brian back to earth, laughing with the full bass of his voice. He lays in the clinging heat of their sex, the smell finally settling, he couldn’t imagine washing it off so quick. He wants to bath in it for as long as possible, till his skin is tainted, and he’ll walk among everyone with his body fresh of sex.

Eventually he hikes himself out of bed, throwing on a pair of pyjama pants and leaning against the bathroom door, seeing just the shadow of Sal’s body on the curtain as he washes. 

“Feel better?” He asks, his voice still lazy. Sal holds up a thumb, then washes his hair.

“I hate being sweaty.”

“You’ll have to get use to it if you’re gonna work out.” Brain rubs the sensitive area on his leg, the muscle aching like he’s been working out himself- which maybe he had, it’d been too long. 

“Yeah, especially if you’re gonna jump on me like a dog in heat every time.” Sal sticks his head out from behind the curtain, careful to keep the rest of himself covered as if it’s a secret to Brian. His hair is flat against his forehead, lathered in soap, and his skin glistening with drops of water; he almost looks angelic. “Didn’t know you liked the whole physical labour thing? That’s new.”

Brian shrugs, his face still glowing pink. “I like you, that’s more accurate. You gonna keep up the working out?”

Sal puckers his lips in thought. “Maybe. Gotta start somewhere.” He disappears behind the shower curtain again. “Would you prefer if I worked out?”

“What?” Brian stands up, edging over to the shower. “You don’t need to work out for me, bud.”

Sal doesn’t say anything else just continues to shower, prompting Brian to walk out of the room and settle in bed. Benjamin jumps up on the covers and digs his claws into the sheets, purring when Brian scratches behind his ear lovingly. Eventually Sal returns, a towel around his waist and another thrown over his shoulders where he’d been drying his hair, and he throws on the first black tee he can find, then boxers, covering himself in record time before Brian can get a peak of his naked body. The thing about Sal was it didn’t matter how many times Brian told him- showed him how much he adored him the way he was, he’d always have a speck of doubt in the back of his head. That’s why there were so many get-fit-quick schemes, because he was terrified of Brian’s words losing meaning, and his love growing tiresome. 

Watching him fuss with his hair in the mirror, Brian left Benjamin curled up on their bed and grabbed Sal from behind, hands on his poached stomach, squeezing. Sal sucked in sharply through his teeth, pulling in automatically as the contact made him sheepish, but then Brian kissed behind the shell of his ear and he felt his heart melting. 

“You never have to change for me, you hear? Not a fucking inch, not a damn pound. Do it for yourself, Sally, but I’ll love you the size of a house or the size of a mouse.” Brian squeezes again, but this time Sal’s hands hold his, and Sal can see the bashful smile digging dimples into his cheeks. “You’re a dope, but you’re mine till the end.”

“Shut up.” Sal says, spinning around and kissing Brian, holding his hips. “I’ve missed you.” He whispers between another kiss. Brian twiddles a strand of Sal’s hair and chuckles, resting against his forehead. 

“Yeah, me too. Next time my cat gets sick, I won’t suddenly disappear of the face of the planet-”

“—Then suddenly appear humping my leg.”

Brian laughs. “No promises there, bud."


End file.
